Down A Shadowed Road
by Majestic War
Summary: Talon is a Master Necromancer, lazily, effortlessly accomplishing the tasks that Ambrose practically pours on him. After being summoned to Ambrose's office, Talon learns of the threat the witch Morganthe poses, and reluctantly is thrown into the midst of a war that Ambrose had been trying to ignite for years. Talon is faced with a choice: fight or die.
1. The Requirements for War

**Majestic: Yo! It's Majestic here with a Wizard101 fanfic! Yes, the character "Talon" is my OC on my bio, but his abilities are based off of that of my Wizard101 character, Talon. Anyways, I don't own Wizard101, because if I did, it'd suck. EnJoY!**

**Chapter 1 - The Requirements for War**

Talon stood erect in front of the oaken doors leading to Ambrose's Private Quarters. He had been summoned there earlier, and had been delayed, due to the fact that he'd gotten into a fight with a few Oni on his way back from the majestic, intriguing world. As a Master Necromancer, Talon hardly had any time to rest, consequently assigned to missions, rifling through each one, only to begrudgingly return and be rewarded with more tasks. He undoubtedly allowed the questions to flow through his head, but, knowing that these tasks were given to him with no form of malice reinforcing them, he kept silent and obeyed diligently. After receiving permission to enter from Gamma, the magically enhanced owl who practically stalked Ambrose, Talon slipped inside and spoke at once, his tone respectful and polite.

"You called, sir?" Ambrose's grim voice was hidden by a thick veil of contempt. Towards what, Talon decided not to ask nor wonder about.

"Ah, Talon…Yes. I did summon you, for reasons you may know already. I have a task for you." Talon had to resist the urge to roll his eyes in annoyance at the last statement. He shuffled his feet uncomfortably, bracing himself for the monotone exclamation of, "This city is having some…ah…difficulties. Would you mind taking care of it?" But it obviously didn't escape Ambrose's pursed lips, for the painstaking silence had lasted too long.

"Headmast—" Talon began to inquire, but was silenced almost instantaneously by Ambrose's statement.

"Talon, we don't have much time left."

Talon raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "Sorry, sir?"

"We don't have much time left; I've managed to stall her for now, but…."

"Sorry, sir, but I don't seem to know—"

"Morganthe, Talon, MORGANTHE! SHE IS A CUREL, DOMINEERING, MALEVOLENT, FICKLE-WITCH RUBBISH WHO RESIDES IN KRHYSALIS!" Merle Ambrose roared at the young prodigal Necromancer, his patience shattered, his calm façade victim to his incredibly terrible temper. Talon flinched, and gritted his teeth to ensure that he didn't spit out an insult so vulgar that even Satan would be forced to blush in embarrassment.

"….Sir." Talon answered, his voice monotone, the most stoic and nonchalant response he could muster.

Ambrose sighed wearily, as if he was on his last breath. "Talon. I am gathering the strongest wizards to assist myself in defeating Morganthe, and if we have to-forcing her back to her homeworld. She does not belong here in the Spiral, and I will ensure that she leaves." Talon's eyes widened slightly, and he stammered,

"Headmaster—all of them?! I don't think that'll be necessary. If it's just a single witch, I can—" Ambrose cut him off, periwinkle eyes twinkling with a frosty determination.

"Dismissed, wizard." Talon was abruptly flung out of the room by a wave of Ambrose's hand, the door smacking the doorframe violently as it slammed shut upon his exit. Talon shakily rose to his feet, and stumbled clumsily away from Ambrose's office. Damn. What was that crazy bastard thinking? Was he TRYING to start a war? Trekking softly across the luscious lime green grass, Talon strode briskly towards the bridge, leaping over the edge effortlessly, walking under the surging waterfall, and pressed his hand softly against the skull that adorned the flimsy wooden doors leading to Nightside. Ambrose was trying to start a war. If that was the case, then….

He needed to alert Dworgyn.


	2. Dworgyn

**Majestic: Yo, guys, sorry I didn't update in a bit, I've gotten kinda-well, whatever. I will be uploading on Innocence and AS if I can, but for now, this is top priority. If you do review or PM characters that you'd like to be in the story, I will include them. I have about five character spots open, so feel free to add stuff in. Thanks guys. EnJoY! **

**Chapter 2 - Dworgyn**

The wind howled, an almost guttural sound that caused the young prodigal Necromancer to crouch lower, pressing himself into the ground, boots crunching obnoxiously in the snow. Damn. His cover was probably blown by now—at this point, Talon didn't have a choice in the matter. Hiking up his staff and breaking out into a furious sprint, Talon allowed his feet to glide across the snow, ignoring the whipping winds and chunks of snow that managed to find their way onto his face. Colossus Boulevard wasn't quite the best of places to be at that time, but the thoughts dissipated as Talon dove towards the ground, avoiding the colossal hand that came down on the ground with such force, that the ground began to implode as cracks materialized, taking on the shape of a spiderweb, throwing Talon backwards into the nearest shop, that of which he crashed into, glass shattering and falling almost dramatically around him. He staggered to his feet, shaking off the after-effects of the blow, and leveling his staff with the monster, traced a death sigil in the air, obsidian energy gathering around him, four balls of raw silver energy floating in a disarrayed formation around his body. Talon's cape ruffled in the wind, and his hood snagged pockets of air, causing his messy, shoulder length ebony hair to blow to the side, obscuring the Necromancer's vision. He only had time to utter a swear as the pips vanished, and his death sigil exploded, semi-solid particles formed from raw necromantic energy beginning to descend to the ground. A skeletal hand erupted from the ground, and a creature formulated from bone and filled with malice crawled abruptly from the small hole formed. A crude, curved, jagged sword materialized in its hand, a crimson bandanna adorning its forehead. Charging the colossus, the skeletal pirate roared, a battle cry of sorts, and in a mere flash, caused the colossus to howl in agony as the cuts the undead pirate had made began to visualize. Talon swore once more as the colossus released a concentrated breath, full of frost, and the ground began to crackle softly as Talon and his undead minion readied themselves. Talon swore inwardly.

"Dammit, Dworgyn, what the hell do you need all this stuff for?" Talon muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing, trained on the chilled creature. Talon issued a command to his minion mentally, and taking advantage of the giant's distraction, broke out into a sprint, dashing through the frosty beast's legs and leaping into the air. Talon charged his staff with energy mid-fall, and upon doing so, the blunt weapon became an incredibly sharp spear, the energy he'd imbued it with visible as it swirled around the shaft. Talon swung the spear, easily slicing through the colossus' shoulder blade, cleaving his arm through the use of a clean cut. The colossus howled, and the skeletal pirate began to frantically, yet skillfully hack away at the monster's feet. Talon immediately began to trace a death sigil, six glowing silver balls of energy floating around his figure. Talon began to recite an incantation, mental commands being tossed to his skeletal pirate, who defended him as he chanted,

"In the abyss, I seek. In the shadows, I hide. In the night, I strike. In the day, I rise. Come forth, creature of shadow. I ask of you….lend me your power." Talon finished tracing the death sigil as the pirate simultaneously crumbled, no longer able to withstand the blows of the colossus. Suddenly, four gravestones appeared on the thin layer of frost that coated the ground. First, a hand. Then the wings, ebony wings. Small in size, but useful for what was to come. A wraith, clad in a raven-hued cloak burst from the ground, half-moon scythe brandished like a sledgehammer. A ghostly hiss resounded through the silence, and the colossus made a single slight move; raised its hand, poised to kill. Mistake. Talon and the wraith attacked consecutively, slicing first, resulting in two deep gashes on the colossus' front, chill air erupting from the open wounds. The ice colossus, blinded by rage, reared backwards to swipe at the duo. Mistake #2. Talon and the wraith he'd summoned leaped into the air in unison, slicing and cutting ferociously, the wraith delivering the final blow, severing the head from the rest of the body. The gargantuan frost creature erupted into frigid winds and flakes of snow, and the wraith, clad in black, armed with its traditional half-moon scythe—bowed and vanished in a wisp of acrid smoke. Talon grabbed the severed head of the ice colossus, tucking it under his arm. He cleared his throat and spoke.

"Nightside," In a flash, Talon was gone, abandoning Colossus Boulevard. He appeared in the Nightside, known to many as the darkest place in Wizard City. A thick layer of fog coated the area; the sky was dark, with no stars to be found, the earth was cracked, covered in obsidian gravel and asphalt. Lowering his hood, Talon looked around cautiously. The area was desolate, save for the entrance to the Sunken City and Dworgyn's office. The death tree, Mortis, as he was known to many—was not all that friendly. His branches were withered, and the face that resided in his trunk looked old and wizened. As if he had been dead for many years. Talon stalked over to the crooked door—it was partially separated from its hinges, so worn and filthy. Talon sighed, and rapped on the door four times. A crooked, raspy voice resonated throughout his skull.

"Get in here, Talon—I've been waiting for you since the beginning of the afternoon!" Dworgyn, the current master of the Death School, one who taught advanced spells for Necromancers like Talon—was a hunchback, with seemingly crooked eyes, matching his crooked, opaque teeth. He looked worse for wear, sometimes—no, always, but he was still all the same a good teacher.

"Dworgyn." Talon exclaimed, setting the head of the colossus on the broken oaken desks.

"What?!" Dworgyn snapped, whirling on his heel. He paused when he saw the head, and a wide grin crept across his face.

"Oh….OH…This is good….Let's see…" Dworgyn exclaimed. "Just a little bit of—Ah." Necromantic energy caused the head to melt almost immediately, water spilling into the hat of a ghoul Dworgyn had wordlessly—soundlessly summoned. A very powerful Necromancer, yes, he was.

"Go. You know what to do." Dworgyn commanded, pointing to the door. The water somehow managed not to spill out or obnoxiously enough, soak the minion's hat. Once the minion had left, Talon explained the current situation quite diligently.

"Dworgyn, Ambrose…I think he's attempting to ignite the fires of a war." Dworgyn raised an eyebrow in inquisition, head turned to face his apprentice.

"Ambrose is…?" Dworgyn's voice wavered slightly, and the wise Necromancer trailed off. Talon could tell that something was wrong.

"Dworgyn?" Talon questioned. Dworgyn looked as if he'd been crushed by a freight train as he replied lamely,

"What-? Ah, yes, yes. Very well then. Go on with your work." Talon's eyes narrowed and he cast a sharp glare at the man. Something seemed off, and the rudimentary change in Dworgyn's behavior only sought to drag more questions out of Talon's head.

"Sir, I came here to talk to you about something."

"I…I don't happen to have the time, Talon…just—just—go." Dworgyn waved his hand in a gesture that indicated the young man needed to leave. Talon sighed in exasperation and confusion, tapped his head lightly with his index finger, and strode out of the room. He couldn't quite figure out what had caused Dworgyn to become so….innate and fearful. Quite odd. The cape that the young Necromancer billowed behind him like a flailing flag as he continued his trek across the Commons, weaving his way past the gaggle of people assembled loosely in the miniature lake centered in the town. Slipping into the crowded streets of the market in a single stride, Talon slid his hood onto his head, and, as cautious as he was, avoided as many wizards, novice and grandmaster alike—he couldn't afford to be seen. He needed to find someone. Briskbreeze Prison. Albeit being a dangerous place, it was his destination nonetheless. If Ambrose really was planning to start a war, then he needed all the help he could get.


	3. Briskbreeze and Mirror

**Congratulations to Fluffy Sakura-chan, who's OC, Mirror was accepted into DASR (Down A Shadowed Road)! Mirror will gradually be appearing more often, as she is a main character, and crucial to the story, especially for the war. So, thank you, Sakura, for sending in your OC! Please review and PM me your OC if you would like to enter. The requirements for OCs are:**

**Name**

**Age**

**Gender**

**School (Primary, Secondary and if so, then Tertiary)**

**Relationships (With any of the current characters or NPCs)**

**Personality**

**Pet(s)**

**Bio (Doesn't have to be long.)**

**That having been said, I don't own Wizard101. EnJoY! **

**Chapter 3 - Briskbreeze and Mirror**

Talon's boots soundlessly connected with the ground as he waved casually to the guard stationed at the gates to Colossus Boulevard. Talon was flanked by a beauty, auburn curls hanging over her face, miniscule freckles adorning her cheeks. Her eyes were a piercing hazel, and she was clad in lime green robes with an appearance similar to that of a dress. A shawl hung over her shoulders, resembling flowing water, and instead of a skirt, she wore armored boots, with a texture similar to gauntlets, and green pants, white dragons embroidered near the ankles, disappearing into her boots. Kayla Lifeheart, a master Theurgist walked beside Talon, a smile etched onto her face. Although she may have looked like a frail, introverted, beautiful young woman at first glance, she was quite the bloodthirsty one, despite being a Theurgist. A large bang resounded through the air, and the duo ceased their trot towards Briskbreeze, staring incredulously at the source of the bang.

"Talon," Kayla abruptly exclaimed, her index finger trained on the enormous Gobbler that had decided to run towards them, indicating its stupidity.

"What idiocy. Kayla, would you like to-?" Talon replied, suddenly trailing off. He didn't bother to finish his sentence, because Kayla had already leaped towards the hideous creature, flailing her wand. Trees erupted magically from the ground, arms growing swiftly from their trunks, eyes and mouths appearing in unison. Green light briefly blinded Talon. After his eyes recovered from the flash, he was greeted by four treants, surrounding the gobbler, each one meticulously brandishing a large rock. Talon sighed. What overkill. The treants reared back, and simultaneously allowed their arms to rocket forward with astounding speed; four large rocks pulverized the moment they came into contact with the gobbler, and the treants took a slight step back to observe the damage. What startled Talon was the sheer and utter fact that the gobbler was unharmed despite the marvelous display of power Kayla had exhibited. Kayla raised an eyebrow, and turned towards Talon as the hideous garble the gobbler began to spout nearly drowned out her voice. He caught a few words, but paid the most heed to one.

"—Run." Before Talon could protest, Kayla had taken off towards the gobbler, running through its legs, the treants she'd summoned covering her exit. Talon exhaled in desperation, and ran after her, waving casually to the treants as he did so, not bothering to observe their demise as the gobbler yelled something incoherent.

"Hey, Kay, remind me, why are we going to Briskbreeze..?" Kayla slapped her hand against her forehead in an act of desperation, pausing slightly to mourn the death of her minions.

"We're going to meet up with Mirror. She'll escort us inside, and from there we'll interrogate the prisoners for information on Morganthe. We may have to travel to one of the other worlds. Orders from above." Talon's face took on a quizzical expression and he questioned,

"Mirror? Who the hell is that?" Kayla smirked, and called back,

"A really attractive Pyromancer who I assume you will attempt to flirt with instantly. She'll kill you, though."

Talon grinned in a devilish manner and replied, "We'll see about that." Kayla sighed as the duo neared Briskbreeze Tower, their short chat somehow causing the gobbler to cease chase and return to its original task. Talon spoke first, his sentence directed towards the girl clad in red robes stationed at the entrance.

"Hey, we're looking for a girl called Mirror…have you seen her?" Kayla leaped backwards in sheer horror as Talon neared the girl and quirked an eyebrow. The recipient's face remained emotionless as she answered somewhat quietly,

"That's me." Talon chuckled slightly and retorted,

"Okay then…but you're a Magus."

"Yes. And..?" Annoyance was etched into her tone.

"Wizards lower than the Master level can't exactly…participate in this war. Sorry." Talon patted her head as if she were a mere pet, allowing his hand to linger on her silky hair. God, she was cute. Well, so much for that thought. In a bout of anger, Mirror slapped his hand, causing Talon to rear back in slight surprise, and yelled,

"NO! I have to fight—I have nothing left….You have to let me fight!"

"No."

"You have to let me fight! Please, anything! As long as I can help-…."

"Anything…?"

"I-I will. Anything." Talon permitted a smirk to creep across his face as he answered,

"So you really wanna fight that badly, huh?" Talon asked, and her eyes seemed to ignite with determination. Kayla was surprised. How were his words even reaching her interior? What a manipulative man. Mirror nodded vigorously, her hands clenched tightly around her blade. Talon bowed comically, a smirk once again crossing his face.

"Ladies first." Mirror's flushed, and she lowered her head in embarrassment, striding into the tower. Talon grinned, glancing over at Kayla, who was practically dumbfounded. Talon entered the tower before Kayla could protest, eliciting a groan from the young woman.

0 – 0 – 0

"So that's it, Talon?! I'm not a lady?"

Talon clasped his hands together behind his forehead, reclining lazily. "Kaylaaaa~ You're still pissed about that? We're on the last floor, and you're still angry? Hey, Mirror, what information did you gather from the prisoners? After we subdued them, of course." He added.

Mirror spoke, her voice soft and light.

"They all said different things, but the pattern I found was—" Yeah, now that Talon was nearer to her, he noticed that she smelled quite nice. Like lavender. Talon was pulled out of his thoughts by a guttural roar, and Kayla's voice resounding through his skull.

"Seriously?" Was the lingering question Kayla had posed. As Talon was brought back to reality, he felt three of his left ribs crack as a large skeletal hand swathed in black—no—not black, but mauve tattered rags slammed into his side. Talon was sent sideways, his body twisting obscenely through the air. He grunted slightly, and his eyes widened in surprise—well, more or less. Crashing into the sturdy walls of Briskbreeze Tower, Talon felt his body go limp, and the feeling of power cease its coursing through his veins. He managed to utter a quaint swear before he realized he couldn't open his eyes anymore.

"Well….fuck."

0 – 0 – 0


	4. Who

**MW: Congrats to BuBuWinter whose OC, Astra Snaketongue has been accepted into the story! Unfortunately, Astra won't appear until next chapter, and she will become a main character around chapter six or seven. Also, if you are wondering why Ambrose seems like an old snot, I am trying to base him off of the Grand Wizard Matal Mogamett from the manga Magi: Labyrinth of Magic, because I enjoyed Mogamett's character development and style. Anyways, congrats to BuBuWinter, please keep reviewing and submitting OCs, because I am in need of them! :) EnJoY! **

**Chapter 4 - Who**

Mirror had to finish this. She just had to. Kayla was busying herself healing Talon, and the three creatures formed from raw malice were closing in. Even as a Magus, she was still powerful. Concentrating her energy into her foolhardy blade, Mirror closed her eyes, her voice almost inaudible as she muttered an incantation, bracing herself for the recoil of the spell.

"Flare, my paragon, burn your enemies. Let none stand before you, answer my call. I need you…please." She added to the incantation. The seven glowing golden balls of energy that had been swirling around her exploded in a brilliant flash of light, and white-hot flames blazed around her, singing even the two ethereal beings—ghosts that flanked the cruel wraith that had felled Talon. The ground erupted in flames as a bird formulated from raw heat gave an anonymous call. Sweating from the mere heat the phoenix produced, Mirror struggled to maintain her balance. The spell, although powerful, used damn near buckets of her energy, draining her until she could no longer produce anymore. Four seconds should be enough—her thoughts were cut short as she glanced up simultaneously as a circular—almost shieldlike contraption appeared over her head, the design emblazoned on it a burgundy sword placed neatly against a beige backdrop. A Balanceblade. But who-? Talon's arm was outstretched towards her, and a smile was placed upon his face—one full of care and kindness. Mirror blushed briefly, and turned her attention back to her enemy as the Balanceblade shattered, and her phoenix grew in size, flames spewing wildly, uncontrollably from its equally flaming body. A loud "caw!" echoed through the tower floor, and the phoenix opened its maw, a mixture of red, orange, yellow and blue flames enveloped the wraith, singing him in every place imaginable, causing his bones to disintegrate. Mirror stabbed her blade into the ground, using it as a vain support, although she collapsed various times. Small fires lit the dark room, and illuminated the form of the unconscious guard, who'd begun to stir. Mirror glanced at Talon, who was struggling to his feet, and nearing her all the while. Talon had been healed enough to assist her in her vain attempts to stand, although he grunted, and blood stained his tunic. Mirror wanted to call out to him, help him, but she didn't.

"That seemed almost too easy, wouldn't you say, Mirror?" Talon wondered aloud. What the duo didn't notice was the writhing form of the captured guard, his sclera darkening, mouth spewing malicious energy. He called out weakly to the group, in vain, but by the time they neared him, the darkness had already begun regulating his body.

"Can…can you do me a favor?" The guard cleared his throat, the evil inside him adjusting to the fresh host body. Talon cocked his head to the side as a lost puppy would, and responded somewhat quickly.

"What do you need?" The guard smirked inwardly—rather, the…the _thing _inside him smirked devilishly, causing a malevolent voice to screech obnoxiously in his head,

"_YES! YES…! TELL THEM…LET THEM FIGHT! THERE SHALL BE BLOOD! BLOOD!"_ The guard allowed a slight smile to creep onto his face, but the action failed to go unnoticed by Talon's sharp eyesight.

"What are you so giddy about?" He questioned. Damn this brat. What a picky one. Or at least, the witchcraft—it had to be—that resulted in the guard's murky thoughts caused him to think this.

"Oh…it's nothing. Just—reminiscing about the person I want you to find. Oh, how good of a girl she used to be…" He trailed off. The girl he'd been "thinking" about—he knew her. Very well…in fact, he was the very scientist who had turned her into the…_abomination _she was currently. Reduced to nothing but a lowly guard at that, forgiven by Ambrose, and held in ill will with Cyrus Drake, the professor who taught Conjurers. His thoughts were interrupted by Kayla's soft voice, who had spoken up.

"What's this girl's name? Why do you want us to find her?" The cruel smile that flashed briefly on the Marleybonian scientist's face was filled with dark intentions.

"Her name. That's what you wanted, right?" Kayla nodded, and Talon's eyes narrowed. He could tell something was wrong, but he just couldn't…pinpoint it. Who the hell was this guy…and why did the vague feeling that he was possessed continue to cross Talon's mind? The scientist's voice cut through the Necromancer's thoughts, and Talon's eyes widened as he heard her name cleave through the silence, cleave through his optimistic, kind, caring façade, shattering even his sense of direction. If that was even possible.

"Astra Snaketongue." At this last statement, tears began to run rivers down Talon's cheeks, and his eyes widened further as he sank to his knees, breathing Astra's name. Her image flooded his thoughts. Her tattoo, on her right wrist, the numbers 'P00167' etched into her skin, the metal that covered her spine; her long, flowing red ombre hair, her hourglass figure—everything.

"Astra…" He whispered softly through sobs, his voice almost inaudible. "Astra…" Mirror knelt beside him, her face full of concern.

"Are you alright, Talon?" Her words—much to her chagrin—failed to reach him, and the Necromancer continued to whisper Astra's name, clutching his head with both hands, his body limp and curled into the tightest ball a human could make. The guard—no, the scientist grinned cruelly, and spoke once more, the smile never leaving his face, Kayla's now narrowed eyes trained on him.

"Yes, Astra's been a very…naughty girl. Will you find her and bring her back?" Without hesitation, Mirror spoke, determination lacing her words.

"Yes. We'll do it. To cause this much pain for someone…it's…not right. We'll do it. We'll be heading to Marleybone…correct?" The guard/scientist nodded vigorously, smiling…kindly..?

"Yes, my dear. Very good. VERY good."

0 – 0 – 0

Dried, crusted tears hardened Talon's face. His narrowed eyes signified his indifference, Mirror silently sitting next to him on the bed, which was practically covered in death sigils and incantations.

"Nice…er…bedding set…" Mirror quoted, not wanting to anger him any further. He glanced at her, his gaze devoid of any emotion, his voice bleak.

"Thanks."

"Hey," She began, scooting closer to him. Even in his disarray, he still looked quite nice. But she wasn't doing this for him. …Right? "Hey, Talon….are you alright? When he said that girl's name, you seemed sad—in a lot of pain, I mean. Are you sure you're—" Mirror was rudely interrupted by Talon, who's voice was tinged with annoyance. As he spoke, he stood, and whirled on his heel.

"I'm fine. Mirror. Let's go. Kayla isn't coming." Mirror gasped slightly, and paused her walk behind Talon.

"Kayla isn't coming?! But she can—"

"We don't need her." Mirror sighed in desperation, as she understood that her words couldn't get to him. Following him to the entrance to his palace that he currently resided in—alone—Mirror had to note—the duo exited silently, and strode towards the portal; an worn, door made of an otherworldly substance, a portal seemingly built in, but that was wrong. The door itself was the portal, opening entryways to new worlds. You just had to whisper the name.

"Marleybone." Talon stated in a monotone voice, stepping through the door. Mirror followed him, slipping inside the portal soundlessly, a brief flash of white light before the two wizards were surrounded by people—no, talking animals of all sorts. Cats, hound dogs, and mice, stood on their hind legs, chatting feverently, dressed in suits, tailcoats, dresses, gowns, anything. Scraps of paper glided across the air like leaves, and Mirror just had to inhale. The smell of pine was just too enticing. She set off at a walk first, then broke into a fast run, Talon sprinting to catch up to her.

"Hey, Mirror, wait up." He exclaimed, slight enthusiasm noted in his voice. Mirror smiled sweetly.

"So you're back to normal, huh?" Talon flushed, embarrassed at his mistake.

"N-no, I just…" Talon answered, waving his hands in front of him, as if that would create a clean slate. "I…I just wanted to..be happy again, I suppose." He lowered his head to the ground, his voice barely audible. "Sorry." Mirror grinned, and tapped him on the nose.

"It's alright. Make up for it." Talon almost immediately returned to his initial demeanor. Mirror smirked inwardly. Guess she did bring the good out in him after all. Wait—why was she happy? She blushed slightly at her own thoughts, and Talon answered,

"Oh, so you like me now?" Mirror slapped him, but it was half-hearted. Her eyes narrowed, and her face flushed a deep crimson.

"I'm not doing this for you!" She yelled, and took off towards the one place Talon would have rather avoided. The goddamn station.

"Wait, Mirror!" He called, but it was all for naught, as she was too far away. He sprinted after her; the last thing he wanted was to see Astra again. Although he yearned for her—his mind screamed at him to see her—he couldn't. He just…couldn't. There was so much to ask her, and yet…Talon wandered the abyss of his own mind before returning to reality. He found himself in the station, surrounded by various animals, yes, talking. Although he'd been here before, he never really liked the odd crowds in the station. But nevermind that. His top priority was Mirror. That reckless, shy Pyromancer. Where'd she gone?

"Mirror!" He called loudly, although he highly doubted she could hear him. Then he caught sight of her. Rather, he caught sight of Lulu, her eccentric pet dragon. Although Lulu was only an infant, she still exhausted whoever owned her. She zipped around Mirror's head, small bursts of fire unleashed from her petite maw. Talon sprinted towards Lulu. He could now see Mirror's tanned skin as her sleeve was hiked up. He reached for her arm, and stumbled, his face crushed violently against the tile that lined the floors of the station. As Talon looked up towards Mirror, he began to call her name, but, looking to the figure across from her, he paused. Images raced through his mind again, and his eyes threatened to release the pent up sadness he'd locked inside him in that single moment. Standing directly across from Mirror, facing her, her gaze locked on his, was Astra Snaketongue. But something was different…those shoes—no…metal boots…and…the tattoo…..no. Talon's eyes widened as he came to the sudden realization that his childhood friend, who'd left anonymously one day, and never returned stood across from one of his newfound friends. And she was half cyborg.

0 – 0 – 0

Kayla rapped twice on the Headmaster's door, the man in her grasp writhing wildly. For a petite girl, she was quite powerful. The guard—no, the Marleybonian scientist yelped and protested, even attempted vainly to bite her, but Kayla chose not to let go. She had to bring this man in for interrogation. Especially, as a Theurgist, she could smell darkness, death, decay, malice, evil, anything negative—she could smell it…no sense it anywhere. And this man had a large, almost overwhelming quantity of darkness inside of him. When Ambrose opened the door (FINALLY!), he took one glance at Kayla's face, a brief glance at the writhing mass of flesh (Well, at least, that's what it looked like…), and beckoned Kayla in. Dragging the captive alongside her, she clambered into the office, and the door slammed shut. The guard/scientist looked bewildered, as if he had just survived a near-death experience, and then been hit by a freight train. Kayla pressed him with questions, and Ambrose sighed, most likely out of exhaustion.

"Who are you? What are you doing here in Wizard City? Why did you want those two to find that girl? How'd you get here? Honestly, who is Astra Snaketongue? Who are you working for? Why are you—"

"Kayla." Ambrose's soft voice resounded throughout the room, and Kayla ceased her rant. Ambrose spoke to the man, his voice deep and almost thunderous.

"You there." The Marleybonian's gulp was audible within the silent room before Ambrose continued. "Who exactly did you work for before I appointed you as a guard?" The scientist whimpered silently, and tried to utter a word, but instead ended up stammering uncontrollably.

"M…M-M-M-M…I work—worked—f—f—or M—" Ambrose leaned in, eyes narrowed, an incredible feat, especially considering the fact that he was wearing a golden monocle.

"Hm?" Ambrose questioned, hints of annoyance in his voice.

"Mo—Morgan—Morganthe." The scientist finished, whimpering slightly in the silence that followed. Suddenly, the scientist's whimpering was replaced with a fierce gagging, and he was greeted by Ambrose's face, full of rage. Kayla stood silent next to him, her eyes shut tightly, not wanting to see what was going to follow.

"Morganthe…." Ambrose began. He inhaled deeply, the exhale that followed short and swift as he concluded his sentence.

"To do this to one of our own…corrupt and destroy the souls of the young…I can never forgive her…Kayla. Give the announcement to all of Wizard City. We will be declaring war against Morganthe." Kayla nodded and as she exited the room, she exclaimed,

"Yes, headmaster." Ambrose's face darkened. He would put an ends to all of this. Even if it meant the sacrifice of great allies, great friends, siblings, family, anything. He had to end this.


	5. What I Mean to You

**MW: Hey, sorry. The battle scene is a little shorter than what I'd envisioned, and the whole chapter is mainly just dialogue between Astra and Talon, but whatever. I don't own Wizard101, and hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter 5 - What I Mean to You**

Talon stared dumbfounded; his gaze locked with Astra's, the expression that lined her face one of confusion and contempt. But…contempt? Talon rose to his feet, but before he could open his mouth to speak, Mirror's arm that crossed in front of his body silenced him. She glanced at him, her eyes shining with sympathy.

"Don't. I don't want to see you suffer." Talon protested weakly.

"I—" Mirror shook her head, and neared Astra, eyes glittering with determination. Astra's eyes narrowed and she exhaled sharply, a soft hiss escaping her lips.

"I'll do it." Mirror exclaimed defiantly, and flames erupted from the ground, given life through usage of Mirror's energy. Pips—Talon couldn't count how many—swirled around her curvy, petite build, and Astra began to gather an invisible force around her. Talon couldn't quite discern what that force was but it was deadly—wait…could it be…? The ground began to split, small spikes of earth protruding from the ground. Too late now. And an earthquake this early? It was clear that Astra wasn't a novice, as Talon began to notice the pips that circled around her ankles. Six. Fuck. No time.

"Mirror, jump!" Talon yelled as he began a sprint towards the Pyromancer. She only had time to glance at him as damn near fourteen spikes formulated from pure rock jutted from the ground, erupting at one of the fastest paces Mirror had ever seen. Suddenly, she felt a slight knock on her shoulder blade, and she was thrown to the side as Talon slammed into her, concentrating all his body weight on his right side. The momentum was enough to throw the duo away from the earthquake, sending them careening into a small group of citizens, who squealed in fright and scurried away. Literally. Scurried. Talon rose to his feet, and dusted himself off, helping Mirror up as well, questioning,

"You alright?" He glanced at Astra, her face contorted into one of rage. Anger? But why? What had they done wrong? Talon's question was answered as the spikes evaporated, and four pips circled around Astra, and she began to charge towards them, her wrath centered on Talon.

"You…!" She shrieked, her fist raised, feet planted firmly on the ground, her boots clanking softly against the tile. Talon ducked, and her first punch missed. The second punch she sent, although somewhat weak, caught him in the stomach, and he double over on her fist, gagging wildly. Tossing him into the air as if he were a ragdoll, Astra raised her fist again, rearing back as if she were to punch him like one would punch a wall in a fit of anger, which would send him flying into the wall, possibly killing him or impairing him. Permanently. Talon grunted as he began his descent towards the ground, and dark energy swirled around him, forming a cage—no, a ribcage, created of pure bone. Hardening the bone with energy, Talon whirled mid air, and braced himself for impact. Astra's fist connected with the ribcage, and she yelped in surprise, leaping backwards as Talon managed to flip successfully, and regain his footing. Sliding slightly as he landed, Talon exhaled softly as seven pips materialized around his figure. Astra's eyes widened, and a sorrowful smirk played across his face.

"Too bad you don't remember me, Astra…well….I guess it's alright. If it means I get to go all out, then it's alright." His eyes narrowed, his gaze became sharper, and he stood, a anonymous air causing his hood to fall from his head, long dark hair framing his face neatly.

"Brace yourself, Astra." Astra gritted her teeth, and simultaneously, Talon and Astra began to trace sigils in the air—Astra's sigil that of the myth school, Talon's sigil that of balance. Astra's eyes widened. _He knew balance spells as well?! No way…_ Unfortunately, Astra had no time to react as her sigil began to crumble, turning to black ash as it did so. She swore audibly, and Talon smiled sadly as he finished tracing his sigil, the air around Astra beginning to burn. She smelled fire. She tasted it, on her tongue, the lingering taste of burnt toast, the putrid, repulsive scent of smoke. She knew what this spell was. Spectral Blast. A vulgar, repulsive verse strutted from her mouth, and Talon spoke above the obnoxious sizzling.

"Sorry, Astra. We'll meet again when you wake up…I hope. Mirror. Catch her when she falls." Talon's voice was apologetic, sympathetic, cruel, yet empathetic all at once. Astra's mind was plagued by memories as four flaming spheres formed in front of her eyes. Scouring her mind, she searched for his name. Talon…Talon….and then, she saw it. A boy. Coffee brown skin, dark, rich, captivating brown eyes, ebony hair—darker than black, if that was possible. She knew him, and at the same time, she didn't. She gazed once again at his face as he turned away, his gaze lowered to the floor. Just who was he?

0 – 0 – 0

Astra awoke to the feeling of something trapping her feet. She glanced down at herself—wait…where were her clothes? Where was she? As she looked around the room, she noticed that everything seemed…dark. The room was dimly lit, and papers, spellbooks, swords, wands, staves, anything magical of the sort was scattered around the room. Gazing at the bed sheets, she then realized: she was in someone's house. Vainly attempting to free her feet, Astra noticed the sleeping form of Talon. His face rested peacefully on his forearms, and a small trail of saliva escaping his open mouth. He still donned the clothes he'd been wearing the…night before, was it—when they'd fought. Astra gazed at him for a few moments, smiled sweetly, and then rose from the bed, freeing her feet—miraculously—without waking Talon. She sighed in desperation, and, deciding to use her time to her advantage—took these moments to explore her surroundings. As she did so, her ears picked up the sound of a soft grunt, and the bedsheets moving. Astra froze, rooted the the ground, immobilized by some…what was it—Fear. She stared, wide-eyed at Talon, who returned the gaze with groggy eyes, a crooked, kind smile plastered onto his face.

"Astra…?" He questioned…no, it was more of a sleepy murmur, as he stumbled, and began nearing her. Astra wanted to back away, but she couldn't. It was as if she was frozen, immobilized by some form of magic…but yet, it wasn't. Talon closed the distance between the two of them almost effortlessly despite being half-asleep, and as he leaned in closer, he wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace, and Astra was surrounded by a sweet warmth that her body, heart, soul and mind yearned for, ached to hold on to, ached to feel more of. Astra hesitantly wrapped her arms around him as he whispered softly,

"It's good to see you." Astra rest her head in the crook of his neck. Although she may not have remembered him, this warmth….these feelings—his words, too. She remembered those. She answered his statement, her voice lowered to a whisper.

"I—I don't remember who you are. Can…Can you tell me?" She pulled away from him, stepping back a few inches, and gazed into his rich, brown eyes. Captivating. Talon smiled, his eyes shining, his smile sorrowful.

"Sure." He answered, and collapsing onto the bed, patted the spot next to him. "Let's sit down first."

0 – 0 – 0

"We were friends. Quite a while ago—maybe around 13 years prior to now. We played often. So often, that my parents considered you their daughter. Your parents died in….in an accident, and you lived with me. Really, it was very amusing to see you attempt to match the antics that I performed, and fail, only to rise and resolve to try again." He chuckled before continuing. "Well, when I was about eight, you decided to take a walk, notifying my mother, making sure that she could see you. Well, she was required to do fill out some…paperwork, I think it was, so I was tasked with monitoring you. If only….I…I looked away from the window—not even for a minute—and when I looked back, you vanished, the only form of notification indicating that you'd been in the front lawn was the bracelet I'd given you for your birthday." Astra interrupted swiftly. His words sounded vaguely familiar. Had she heard them before?

"Bracelet….Do you…still have it?" She inquired, leaning over his shoulder to gaze at the item clenched tightly in his balled hands. He gradually unclenched his fists, letting the bracelet slip to the floor. He swore softly. Astra rephrased her question.

"How much do I mean to you?" Talon glanced at her incredulously, closing his eyes, and shaking his head, chuckling half-heartedly.

"Astra, now isn't the time for this. Honestly…we can talk about it after you've remembered everything." Astra narrowed her eyes, her voice tainted with determination. She restated firmly,

"Talon. How much do I mean to you?" Talon shook his head once more, and Astra gripped his arm tightly. Talon shot a glare at, her, and once realization dawned on him, he obscured his eyes with his hand, and his eyes softened. Well, at least, she thought they did. He sighed in exasperation, and removed his hand from his face to stare at her, his eyes captivating her, and causing her face to tinge red.

"Astra….to me…."He massaged his face with his hands, and stood up. As he walked towards the door, he concluded his sentence, causing Astra's eyes to widen in surprise, curiosity, shock, and a mixture of many other things.

"To me…Astra….you're everything." Astra almost retched at the nauseating sea of thoughts—memories that flooded her mind, images of her childhood, images of the scientist, Marleybone, even images of Talon…wait, no, especially Talon. Astra remembered.

0 – 0 – 0


	6. Announcement -- Length and Bio

**MW: Hello, all! As of now, DASR chapters will be lengthened from 3k-8k words each chapter! Although it sucks due to slow updates, I think you'll love them! The war will begin in chapter 7 (The next upload after chapter 6...), and will span out up to chapter 14 or 15, the last two chapters. Yes, it's a long war, and I have to try not to rush things...Man. Anyways, since Talon's backstory is pretty much enigmatic throughout the story, I will be explaining a little about him. (His past is revealed bit by bit, but what the hell.)**

**He began his life as the son of two legendary wizards, whose names he doesn't remember. Astra practically lived with him because her mother was dead, and her father was a drunkard, and wasn't home most of the time. Talon's parents' lives were claimed during the Great Wizard War, and he lived alone, put into a state of despair until he recovered at the age of five. Around the age of six, Astra vanished one night after she had returned home. Her father was jailed and she was never claimed by anyone or seen again. But Talon continued to search for her, surviving on the streets as a petty thief and pickpocket. At the age of 7, Talon was caught stealing from one of the most secure archives in the Spiral, and he was jailed and locked in Briskbreeze Prison. There, he met Dworgyn, who would only cackle at the young boy's foul mouth and various skills. Dworgyn saw potential in Talon, and taught him Necromancy, which he picked up on in the 11 years that he was in jail. Dworgyn was released early, but left behind a few scraps of spellbook pages, that of which Talon used to strengthen his knowledge. After being release at the age of 18, Talon soon became accustomed to the new ways of life in Wizard City. He applied for the school of Death, and was almost immediately appointed a master Necromancer. He'd lazily carried out petty tasks for Ambrose, completing them without a sweat, only to have more and more poured onto him. Until now, at least. Talon has decided to participate in the Fifth Great Wizard War, alongside his comrades-Seth Skytaker, Kayla Mistwalker, Miranda Moonstone and Astra Snaketongue. **

**MW: Hope you enjoyed, chapter 6 will be coming out soon! **


	7. Conflicts Before a War

**MW: So, I have accepted two more OCs, which concludes the OC entering. You are welcome to enter OCs, but they will either be minor characters with few appearances, NPCs, or villains. Anyways, the OCs I accepted were James Duskstone and Hunter Lioncloud. Thanks for your contributions! The war begins in the next chapter, Beginnings of a War! Be amazed! XD. Anyways, I have taken all this criticism to heart, and will do my best to meet your expectations. Thanks again! EnJoY! **

**Note: You may have noticed that my way of portraying worlds, spells and other elements are different than the game. Yes. Stronger spells require incantations, while minor spells and custom spells do not. The worlds mentioned/seen in this story are: Mooshu, Khrysalis (Which is outside of the Spiral in this case), Dragonspyre (Mentioned), Grizzleheim, Celestia, and Wysteria and Wintertusk (Mentioned). Talon is in fact level 43, and the level cap is 65. Talon knows spells beyond his level due to the fact that he was taught by Dworgyn and begged to be taught high level spells. In fact, if he had showcased his spells when he first applied, he would be around legendary, but he refrained. Astra is a grandmaster, Mirror is a magus, Seth and Kayla are grandmasters, James is a legendary, and Hunter is a master. Buildings are not described very often because you should know what they look like, but in order to add more feel and interaction, I will describe them. If you have not already noticed, Talon is a flirtatious, kind, cruel, malicious, vicious, and protective young man. He tends to have mood swings, and he is in love with Astra and has some feelings for Mirror. It'll come up later. Anyways, onto the story. **

**Don't own Wizard101...D:**

**Chapter 6 - Conflicts Before a War**

Talon sighed, his thoughts in disarray, his normally straight hair tousled and his clothes unkempt. After leaving Astra to attempt to remember, he'd strode across his lawn, entering the brightly lit room in the lowest parts of his house, releasing his caged stress by ruthlessly mauling the wall with his fists. Well, that only served to add more stress; having been faced with the fact that he needed to fix the now destroyed wall. He sighed once more, massaging his face with his hands as if they carried some sort of remedy that would clear his mind. As if. Footsteps resounded on the steps behind him, and he glanced up to see the smiling face of Mirror. Raising an eyebrow, he questioned,

"How'd you get in here?" Mirror flinched, and replied,

"Well, that was harsh." Talon didn't realize that his question sounded rather icy, and he choked out,

"Sorry." Mirror shrugged slightly, and gazing at Talon, answered,

"You gave me your address. You weren't upstairs or on the main floor, so I decided to check down here—and here you are." Talon rose to his feet.

"Thanks. If…if you want to say hi, Astra's in my room." Mirror raised an eyebrow, thoughts she probably shouldn't have been wishing for sliding into her mind.

"Where exactly IS your room?" Talon didn't even have the luxury to sigh or clap his hand over his face in annoyance as he led Mirror towards his room. She was so thankful he couldn't see her face. Upon arriving into his room, Mirror was greeted with a sight she would rather have not seen: Astra immediately flung her arms around Talon, and embraced him, whispering,

"I'm sorry," Into his ear, repeatedly. He calmed her down, and formally introduced the two girls, stepping to the side, to say,

"Astra Snaketongue, this is Miran—I mean, Mirror Moonstone; Mirror Moonstone, this is Astra Snaketongue." A moment of tension passed between the two girls, and Astra gritted her teeth, her eyes sending the unseen message of "back off." Mirror returned the glare, and glanced at Talon, who raised an eyebrow. She smiled innocently. Talon shook his head, before exclaiming,

"Both of you—grab onto my arm. We…have somewhere to go." The last part of the sentence was laced with annoyance, as if he despised whoever—or wherever they were going. Each girl latched onto his arm a bit too frivolously, and Talon stammered,

"A-Ambrose's Office…" In a flash, a few puffs of smoke, and miniature death sigils, the trio reappeared in Ambrose's office, where he swiveled on his heel to greet them, the crystal ball he held in his hand reflecting the light, and causing Talon to squint. Ambrose caught sight of Mirror and Astra, and after clearing his throat obnoxiously, respectfully uttered,

"Can you leave us, please? Gamma will…take care of you in the next room." Astra raised an eyebrow, but Mirror only nodded, hoisting Astra by her elbow, half-dragging her to the door that lay in wait at the other end of the office.

The moment the door signified it's closure, Talon directed his outburst towards Ambrose.

"Headmaster. Astra….I….I brought her, just as that…guard requested." He looked conflicted, and lowered his head, his interest in the beige tiles lining the floor increasing drastically.

Ambrose smiled politely. "Ah…the guard, yes. He passed away in the short while—a day in fact—that you were gone." Talon's voice lowered to a hiss, and his eyes narrowed as a moment of tension passed between the two.

"Not to be rude, headmaster, but what the _hell _did you do?" Talon questioned, emphasis on his swear. Ambrose returned the glare, and his own throaty voice became a growl.

"He was a subordinate of Morganthe before I'd appointed him as a guard."

"He could've been striving to be a better person! How the fuck do you know what people think?! You aren't God, are you? Then why do you keep acting like a selfish bastard who manipulates people only to throw them away in the end?" Talon yelled, his voice filling the silence, his breathing escalated, his sorrowful gaze directed towards Ambrose. Ambrose exhaled, closing his eyes, his face somber, sullen, weak. He stared solemnly at Talon, and whispered,

"Don't question my motives." At this, Talon stepped back a few feet, eyes narrowed, pausing when Ambrose said,

"Can you allow me to speak with Astra? Alone…?" Talon glared detestably at Ambrose, before whirling on his heel, nodding hesitantly in return. Talon and Mirror exited the office, Astra entering, returning Ambrose's intense gaze with a crude, sharp glare.

"What do you need….sir..?" She questioned. Calling someone sir was new to her. She crossed her arms and glared defiantly, despite the fact that this man reeked of sardines, and it disgusted her, very much so. Ambrose grasped her shoulder tightly, causing her to flinch, and rear backwards, a low growl escaping her mouth.

"Astra Sanketongue." Her eyebrows furrowed, and her sarcastic expression became one of anger.

"What the hell do you want, old geezer?" She snapped, an ebony dragon, with long, chrome spikes running down its spine crawling from behind her. It hissed obnoxiously, and steam began to stem from its maw. Ambrose slammed his staff on the tiled floor in his office, a loud bang resonating through the room, causing the tiles to crack, spiderweb indentations running through each piece within a 4ft radius. Astra retorted sarcastically,

"Yeah, as if you'd kill me. Aren't men supposed to be chivalrous assholes who don't dare to touch a woman in any sort of perverted, uncouth way?" A smirk played on her face as she continued, finding interest in Ambrose's limited amount of patience.

"I'm a Grandmaster Conjurer. I could be useful to you—which I assume is why you called me here. But, I'm afraid I'll have to decline." Ambrose's eyebrow twitched, and upon hearing the last part of Astra's sentence, his jaw dropped, and he gaped incredulously at her, his eyes containing a mixture of fear and contempt.

"What….?" He replied, his voice hollow.

"Oh, did I strike a nerve?" Astra inquired sarcastically, the sardonic grin on her face growing wider as Ambrose gaped, managing to stammer,

"B…But—but why?" Astra rose from her position on the chair, and began to leave the room.

"Because I don't fight for wizards, especially if they're led by someone as incompetent as you." Ambrose desperately reached out to her with his hand, stumbling as he rose from his own chair.

"W-wait! But…If—If it was him, you'd fight for him, wouldn't you…?" Astra hesitated as she opened the door, her head tilted slightly towards Ambrose. She closed the door upon seeing Talon's concerned face, and leaned against it as she heard his voice, calling her name inquisitively.

"I….I don't know….there's a war, and he's fighting in it—for everyone, not just himself, but….I…don't know if I want to fight just for one person." Ambrose lowered his head in defeat as Astra slammed the door shut. His plan had failed. And if he didn't do something to recruit this girl, he may as well lay himself to rest. Not yet, though. He needed more people. He needed to start a war. A war that would bring ends to all of this chaos. An end…

0 – 0 – 0

Kayla raised an eyebrow as she glanced at the young man before her, his pitiful attempts to trace a storm sigil amusing. Despite being a grandmaster, he was still inept at tracing sigils that he neglected to learn during his beginning years. He grunted in displeasure. Kayla rested her hand on his shoulder at first, before wrapping her arms around him, leaning into his neck.

"You'll get it someday, Seth." Although Seth made no attempt to return the gesture, just merely grunted, Kayla knew he cared.

"I don't _have_ someday, Kayla. Ambrose has already gathered over 100,000 master, grandmaster—even legendary wizards. He's going to have a small group begin the war by infiltrating her lair—that includes me. If I manage to learn spells that many Diviners can use, then I'll be able to assist more." Kayla ran her hands over his shoulders.

"Seeeettthhhhhh," She whined, stretching out his name. Seth sighed desperately, and stood, facing Kayla. He briefly pecked her on the cheek before slipping past her, calling,

"I need to head to Ambrose's. He summoned me earlier, only explaining that it was some secretive mission that he assigned me, telling me that I had to pick four others to go with me. Er…I'll see you later then….?" Without waiting for a protest, Seth was out the door, in a bright flash and a few puffs of repulsive smoke. Kayla sighed. Her boyfriend, Seth Skytaker…was such a hassle. Although it was difficult spending time with him due to his…habits, Kayla worried consistently. Seth was entering a war. Although she was, too, she knew she could fend for herself. But…what about Seth? What would she do if he died…? She had nothing else left, anyway… Kayla sighed, shaking her head as if that single action would rid her of the twisted thoughts roaming through her head. It didn't. Yeah, there was a war…but…was it really necessary?

0 – 0 – 0

Astra swore as she followed Talon into Olde Town, watching as Talon waved to the guard, who smiled back seemingly in a kind manner, but immediately as his gaze turned to hers, a lecherous grin spread across his face and Astra flicked her second finger up towards him, a devious smirk crossing her face as his perverted thoughts were replaced by ones of anger. What an asshole. She passed through the gate with Talon, closely following him, her eyes sharp and her mind on alert for that pervert. Her eyes widened slightly as she glanced behind them. Although all that lagged behind was Mirror and the bustle of wizards surrounding her, Astra could tell—someone was following them. Tapping Talon vigorously on the shoulder, she hissed into his ear,

"I think someone's following us." Talon cast a sideways glance towards her, before exclaiming softly,

"Who?"

"I don't know. It could just be Mirror, lagging behind; it could be that perverted guard from earlier, I don't know—" Talon cut her off, his tone filled with annoyance.

"Perverted _what_?"Astra stared for a moment before saying,

"Nevermind." Talon sighed and shook his head.

"Ignore it for now. It's probably just—" Talon was cut off by a voice with a dark edge to it, as if the owner despised life itself. A hand clasped around his shoulder, and Astra saw his eyes widen as he whirled around. Kayla's well-known partner stood behind him, a hand lazily clasped around Talon's shoulder, blonde hair obscuring his eyes.

"Seth," Talon acknowledged. His gaze slipped past his longtime friend, to the two young men standing nonchalantly behind Seth. One of them he recognized as his half-brother, the child of his mother and the man she'd discreetly decided to have an affair with. Although Talon might have resented his newfound half-brother for that, he didn't. He occasionally would visit, commenting on Hunter Lioncloud's growth as a Diviner. A grin split Talon's face, and he clapped Hunter heartily on the back.

"Good to see you again, Hunter." A soft smile erupted on Hunter's lighter skinned face, and he replied back with a small, yet commanding—almost aloof tone. "Yeah."

Talon gestured towards the other boy. A cowl lined his head, his robes, boots and hat trimmed and dyed a navy blue, a soothing grey enlightening the somewhat gloomy color. His eyes were incredibly monotone—a slate, stagnant grey that seemed to capture all who stared in a trance. A small scar lined his left eyebrow, and his expression was devoid of emotion. Gloves encased his hands, and he sent a sharp glare at Talon, who chuckled nervously, and rubbed the back of his head. Seth took the job of introducing his friend instead.

"This is James Duskstone. He's a legendary Thumaturge, who was assigned to our group by Ambrose. He doesn't talk too much, so please, don't annoy him." At this, Talon raised an eyebrow, inquiring,

"So we're a group now…? That old bastard….What exactly are we going to do? We ARE contributing to the war, right?"

Hunter interjected. "We've been assigned as a small group. We're going to infiltrate Morganthe's palace…I believe…and there we will collect as much information as we can as the main group advances."

Talon scoffed rudely, chiding, "We're going to collect information! We're going to collect information!" His voice became dark as he concluded, "Oh, so we're spies now? What are we, thieves? Are we some sort of traveling group of fools who can only obey the orders of one senile man like a lapdog?!"

Seth began, "No, but—" Seth was rudely cut off by Talon, who interjected with,

"I don't care. When we infiltrate her lair, I'm confronting her. Don't come if you value your life." With that, he brushed past Astra and began to stalk down the cobbled steps, his route ultimately leading him to Cyclops Lane. Seth sighed, and Hunter scowled in anger. James muttered,

"That moron. He's only going to get himself killed."

Seth answered, his reply directed towards the trio that stood around him. "Yeah…this is a war, after all. A war that we'll stake our lives upon." Sighing again, he turned towards the Shopping District, staring briefly through the gate at the welcoming, dim lights and the shadowed streets that seemed to envelop many in an unearthly warmth.

"So much for saying goodbye." Seth exclaimed, and strode through the gate that connected Olde Town and the district.

0 – 0 – 0


	8. Celestial

**MW: Here's chapter 7. Sorry for the late updates, but I'll be updating slightly faster (hopefully), and that's when the good stuff happens. Anyways, hope you EnJoY, and please rate, review, and comment.**

**Chapter 7 - Celestial**

Talon swore as he observed his surroundings—boats—lots of them—floated on open air, multicolored shields adorning the sides, rough hulls and obscene creatures decorated the fronts and edges of the ship. Where was he? Seriously, why did he have to separate himself from the group? He sighed. Grizzleheim was so….big…and…bear-ish. I mean, bears literally populated the place, save for the few ravens, and the world itself was like a lush prairie with roads etched into the ground and foul—sometimes innocent creatures ravaging the land. He scoffed as his hands clenched tighter around the blazing naginata he'd obtained during his days in the world of…what was it…pigs and elephants—Mooshu. Bracing himself for any form of confrontation, he dashed towards the open gates, which were formed from maple and pine, which smelled quite nice…No. He couldn't afford to get distracted. There was a war, and he could be killed at anytime. He needed to find his comrades…no…his friends. His dearest friends…Suddenly, a bolt of fire placed itself where his feet were mere seconds before, Talon having seen the attack coming. He gritted his teeth, and sent a sharp glare at the attacker, which so happened to be a rat, clothed in bandages and rags, which probably once could've been called clothing. Sending a bolt of necromantic energy at the rat, Talon dove towards the left, staring intently at the ground, scouring the earth for sand. Digging in the dirt, doing his best to dodge the crimson lances that pierced the soil near him, he groped for the last bit of sand hidden beneath the dirt. Gathering a large amount of energy around him, four blazing balls of white swiveled around him, orbiting him like miniature planets.

"Sandstorm." He muttered, and the sand that he'd placed upon the earth grew into a whirling tornado, grains of sand spitting in random directions, the sound akin to that of a swarm of wasps. The sandstorm picked up the rat, and tossed him into oblivion, his startled cries of fear resounding throughout the air, only to be replaced by a scream of agony. He probably fell on a discarded blade. Painful. Talon cringed slightly, shook his head, and began to stalk off into the opposite direction, determined to reunite with the group. He knew they were in Grizzleheim with him, right? They should've been…they were following him, after all. So then, where could they have gone? Talon speculated that it wasn't far from his current location, and continued walking forwards, ignoring all signs of life that came his way, or blowing them away with sandstorms and minions he'd summoned. Slipping off his hood as he strode towards the nearest village, Talon allowed his shoulder length black hair from its confines as he marveled at the sights around him. Bears of all sizes, sexes and culture stood blatantly behind counters, various items from all cultures stacked in rows along each wooden surface.

"Wow," He breathed softly, exhaling as he spoke. Walking to the nearest vendor, he asked,

"Excuse me…er…sir…do you happen to know where the next village is?" The towering bear whirled around swiftly, and without warning suddenly gripped Talon by his neck, the enormous paw wrapping around his throat as if it were a small can. Talon was hoisted from the ground, and he began flailing his feet as if that would help him escape.

"What—are—you—doing—" Talon choked out uselessly. The bear then released him from his grip, and bellowed,

"You. What is a wizard doing in Grizzleheim?" It was then that Talon noticed the ornate medals strung around his neck, the monstrous red/ivory shield held tightly in his hand, and the slightly rusted, jagged-edge great sword which couldn't have weighed more than 400 pounds strapped to his waist by a belt of crude leather. A guard…Talon swore internally. But…why would that bear ask a question like that?

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" The guard bellowed, his voice causing Talon to scramble backwards in surprise. Talon answered meekly, "Sorry, I didn't know wizards weren't allowed. When was this notice issu—" Talon barely had time to finish his sentence before the guard interjected rudely and loudly, "The notice was issued four weeks ago. What, were you dead during that time?" The guard chuckled slightly before his gaze returned to a serious one. "Anyways," he continued. "You aren't welcome here. I suggest you take your group of ragtag friends and leave."

Talon raised an eyebrow, his gaze quizzical, allowing a hiss of breath to escape his lips. "Ragtag…friends...? I'm sorry…sir…I don't happen to know what you mean." Talon's grip on his spear tightened as he prepared for the worst, silently uttering a prayer. An incantation formulating itself at the back of his mind, Talon questioned again, "I don't happen to know what you mean. Ragtag friends? I happen to be searching for a group of people, but…" He trailed off, not bothering to finish the sentence as the guard scoffed, snapping his fingers, the sound resounding through the marketplace, causing all the vendors to stare earnestly at the group of young wizards bound by chains as they staggered out, bruises, cuts, and some minor wounds covering their bodies. Flowing red ombre hair, a dark blue cowl—everything that each wizard was wearing Talon recognized. He could only sigh in exasperation as the fearsome bear spoke. "They tried to resist us when we explained that wizards were not welcome here. They injured a few before we were able to successfully capture them. If they do not leave in less than an hour, they will be put on trail and executed. These wizards—do you know them?"

Talon only sought to nod as he gazed at the guard, his face betraying none of the anger that was gradually building up inside him. "I know them," He replied. "If you'd release them…_kindly_…then we'll leave immediately." The bear nodded, and turned towards his comrades who held the chains tightly in their grips. Tapping their heads, they two guards bowed dutifully, and stalked off towards their previous posts, the chains binding the wizards set free.

Hunter leaped into the air, his fist pointed towards the sky as he spoke haughtily, "Finally, we're free, man I thought those bear bastards would never—" Hunter glanced at Talon and the guard, whose glares caused him to cease his rant. Although he returned the bear's glare with a spiteful look of his own, he said nothing more.

Talon spoke, the fury evident in his voice, causing Mirror to cringe. "We're leaving. Don't talk to anyone. Touch anything, and they'll kill you. At this point, we've created our own bounty. Until further notice, we aren't allowed in Grizzleheim." James muttered something incoherent under his breath about missions and tasks. Talon whirled around, his anger flaring, resulting in creatures of the dark to sprout around him. Lost souls flanked him as wraiths positioned themselves in front of him, prepared to attack at the slightest move of a finger, considering the fact that one wraith's scythe was pressed obnoxiously into Seth's throat, and his raised his hands beside his head in a gesture of innocence.

"I will not hesitate to send you back to those guards if you do anything else uncouth. _**Understood**_?" Talon spat, venom etched into his voice. He strode ahead of the group, and climbing into the boat, He cast a sharp glare their way before turning to stare at Grizzleheim as they left, returning ruefully to Wizard City, having not been able to complete their mission. Fuck. Talon swore inwardly. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, _FUCK. _ Ambrose was likely to be full of ire when they reported back, the thought of which only sought to worsen Talon's mood. What a _great _day this was. Just _**great**_.

0 – 0 – 0

Ambrose's fury swathed his office in a tempest of wrath, his screams of anger literally shaking the group of wizards. "YOU FAILED THE MISSION?" He spat, his voice raspy and hoarse. It hurt a wizard's ears to hear him speak, but to hear him scream…damn. Talon settled his gaze on Gamma, the magically enchanted owl who was gazing back at him with those ever-wide eyes. Gamma's gaze was scrutinizing, and since he was linked to Ambrose emotionally, and mentally, it was obvious he was feeling the same emotion Ambrose was experiencing—he would echo Ambrose's words with a sharp bark, which did not sound like an owl's call at all. Talon rolled his eyes, and interjecting through Ambrose's vain lecture, spoke up. "Look, headmaster, we went to Grizzleheim. I managed to find a portal which leads to Dragonspyre, and from there, one that leads to Celestia. I don't have this skilled Heck Hound for nothing. In essence, the mission was completed. Alright? Just give us the next assignment, and go back to sleep." Talon's crude comment at the end held every bit of annoyance he could muster.

Ambrose gritted his teeth and exhaled, a low, threatening hiss escaping his mouth. He massaged his forehead tenderly as he answered, a tone that oozed fatigue and authority causing Gamma to cease his incessant caws. "Very well…You may go. Travel to Celestia. Talk to Aleta Masterson, one of the explorers from old that resides there currently. She is most likely a vendor now, but she'll be able to lead you to where you want to go. Take care—Morganthe's followers shall be at the ready, waiting for your arrival. Aleta will direct you from there. I—I wish you luck…young—wizards." No—Ambrose should've rephrased his sentence. The children that he'd once raised weren't so young now…they'd grown into exceptional wizards, who could rival even the gods despite their low ranks. And he had ruined their future by dragging them into war. But this had to be done. If he wanted to end it all—If he wanted to prevent further invasions; if he wanted to prevent everything malevolent, villainous, cruel—anything evil—from invading the Spiral—he HAD to end this. At all costs. Talon shut the door behind him, allowing the rest of the group out first before he sighed audibly, and closed the door behind him.

Mirror spoke first, her soft voice soothing Talon in his few moments of annoyance. He smiled at her. "Talon…did you really find portals from Grizzleheim to Dragonspyre, and from Dragonspyre to Celestia?"

Talon couldn't help but chuckle slightly before he ceased almost immediately, and his gaze became serious once more. "Hell no. And screw Grizzleheim—I've marked Celestia with an enchantment. We should be there in a flash." He answered, setting off at a brisk pace, turning left on the cobbled, discolored stones into the Shopping District. He called behind him, his voice carrying to the ears of his stunned friends. "Oh, and be sure to hold your breath!"

0 – 0 – 0

Hunter figured that the drop into Celestia would be quick and easy, and that they'd land on the solid ground he'd grown to love, disliking the other harsh climates of various worlds. Well, his assumption was off course by more than a milestone. Instead of marking the Celestian Base Camp, Talon had marked the water before the entrance to the base camp. Hunter now clearly understood what Talon had meant by "hold your breath" as he and the other members of his group plummeted down through murky, indigo waters, the pressure nearly unbearable. He glanced at Talon in time to see the Necromancer point to the one of the four domes positioned in the center of the complex, and Hunter was elated. Finally, he could return to the ground. The ground that he grew to love—Hunter was jerked from his imaginary paradise as Talon grabbed him by the arm, and swung him around multiple times, finally releasing Hunter as he flew towards the centermost dome. Why that son of a—Dammit! Hunter was traversing the waters at a speed impossible for a normal human in water, zipping towards the dome, his features practically encased in anger. _Wild Bolt_. The words coursed through Hunter's head as he neared the dome, the powerful bolt of lightning crackling in the air, shattering parts of the glass dome as Hunter entered, pursued by a tide of water. Landing gracefully on his feet, his stood, spitting on the floor of the base camp. Sighing in exasperation and mainly annoyance, Hunter removed his boots temporarily, depositing a bucket of water onto the floor. A few more splashes were heard and Hunter glanced at the dome, which was now sealed. Hunter scoffed, scowling at Talon.

"I thought you said you had marked Celestia with an enchantment!" Hunter's voice ruled out Seth's coughs.

"I did, and you never thought to ask where I put it." A smirk played on Talon's face. Hunter growled, and as he glared at Talon, noticed that whenever he'd look at the young female Pyromancer, a silent gesture seemed to pass between them and she would blush noticeably and find interest in something else. Hunter narrowed his eyes, searching between their frequent glances for the understanding. What was it? Was it even understanding? Did his older half-brother get himself a girlfriend? What was it? Hunter was too preoccupied to notice that he was teetering dangerously on the sheer edge of the base camp, one which led into water. He caught himself damn near the point where he was about to fall in. Regaining his composure as he steadied himself, Hunter found the other group members staring dubiously at him. He cleared his throat, encased his visible facial emotions within a scowl, and dusted himself off.

"What are you fools looking at?!" He snapped, mustering as much anger as possible. Talon shrugged and turned left, striding towards the fox vendor cheerily skipping near the edge of the camp.

Tapping her on the shoulder, Talon retreated a few steps before he posed the question, "Excuse me, we're looking for an Aleta Masterson? The Headmaster told us she'd guide us once we arrived…" The Necromancer trailed off, his eyes finding the vendor's searching for any sign of recognition. None.

Speaking up, she answered, "Ah, Aleta. That would be me. I assume Ambrose sent you here….said I would guide you, eh?" Clapping her hands, she noted as if on cue, "Speaking of, before I send you to the Grotto, we need to celebrate!"

Talon quirked an eyebrow. "Reason?" He inquired, his quizzical behavior not at all surprising.

Aleta Masterson's smile was filled with glee as she hopped gaily on each foot, her sudden change in mood disturbing some of the group. "Celestia hasn't seen wizards in over a century! This is quite the occasion!" Reaching into a large pouch behind her, Aleta withdrew several bottles of Chardonnay and various kinds of food. Talon's eyes widened and even James' mouth began to water as the group took in the sight before them hungrily. Oh, they needed to stay for this.

0 – 0 – 0

Mirror wasn't sure how exactly it happened, but she was breathing quite heavily as she took in her surroundings. Nearly everybody that she'd traveled with was passed out, including Astra, their faces flushed from the drinks they'd downed without a second thought, the drunken stupors they'd all been in quite amusing. She glanced at the table Aleta had set up, surprised to find Talon biding his time at the table lazily, a glass of Chardonnay in his hand. For that matter, various glasses were scattered about him, and the crimson blush was visible on his face as he returned her dreamy stare with a half-lidded gaze of his own.

"Hey." He exclaimed, shaking her from her thoughts.

Mirror almost leapt backwards in surprise—she didn't want Talon to see her like this—messed up, her robes slipping off of her shoulder, her normally captivating strut now a stagger….But it was kinda too late for that now. "Hey…" She managed to reply, her voice escaping her lips as a whisper, so soft and angelic that it was hard to discern that she was drunk. Before she could even think, he was upon her in a flash, panting as she did so, their breaths rhythmic, and chests rising and falling. He breathed her name in a voice that seemed almost ethereal, as it had come right out of her dreams—Wait, she did NOT just admit that she dreamed about him….did she? Before she could choke out a protest, his lips pressed softly against hers before he pulled away, leaving Mirror yearning for another, but not daring to admit it. His forehead touched hers, his warm breath hitting her skin, his breathing quick, his face flushed a deep crimson that was visible on his rich, dark skin. His black hair was messier than usual, and a large clump hung over his right eye. He breathed her name, lust and raw affection filling his voice, his throat dry and hoarse. He loved her so much. "Mirror..." She heard, as he trailed off, too deluded to finish. Mirror wanted to caress his cheek lovingly, wanted to tell him that she loved him, wanted to hold him, feel his warmth...she wanted him to be hers. But she didn't. She couldn't. It felt right, the kiss that held so much care, but...there was a war. There wasn't much time for love, was there? And besides, he already loved Astra...! But...if she had opportunity, she'd take it. Mirror didn't resist when he cupped her face and brought her closer, kissing her passionately. She pushed back with equal force, kissing him back. She wanted him. So badly. Slipping her frigid hands under his shirt, she exploited his rugged body, feeling his toned muscles, her lips now cascading down his neck as he embraced her. Why was she feeling so..hot? 'Must've been the after effects of the Chardonnay,' she surmised as her lips captured his. The wine that they'd ate and drank earlier didn't even matter anymore as their quick and hearty breaths drowned out the soft noises of sleep that filled the room.

Mirror leaned against him, her hands wrapping themselves in the tangled cloth of his robes. She whispered softly, "Talon...are you drunk?"

Talon chuckled quietly, and replied, "I think so. Is that a bad thing?"

Mirror pressed herself against him tightly as she tilted her head to kiss him again.

"Not at all." The suddenly, the world cracked around her, and she donned a puzzled gaze as Talon's body began to fragment, and finally, he shattered. In fact, everything in the surrounding area shattered, and Mirror was left in complete and utter darkness. There was no floor to comfort her, no people in sight, nothingness enveloping her world as if it was a mere toy to play with. Realizing that she still had Lulu, and the blade she'd acquired prior, Mirror ignited a flame in her palm, allowing her merciless side to express itself. Flames began to dance around her, and she roared, her voice carrying to the far depths of the abyss. "Who's there?" She questioned, and soon found that the echo that replied was in fact not an echo.

"Who's there? Who's there?!" The voice mocked in a painstaking echo. Unnaturally high-pitched, the voice seemed to come from Mirror herself, although her lips were pressed tightly together in a grimace as she glared coldly at the oncoming form of Ptolmeios.

Narrowing her eyes, she questioned casually, "Ptolmeios….I've heard of you. I thought you weren't able to leave the spheres." Ptolmeios flashed her an utterly disturbing grin, and Mirror felt fear course through her as he was bathed in moonlight. He spoke in his true voice, a heavenly voice—an ethereal voice—something that didn't seem like it belonged to the cowardly bastard he was. But it left Mirror shaking uncontrollably, and lances of fear striking her body.

"Pleased to meet your acquaintance, Miranda Moonstone. Now then…." Ptolmeios swept his arm outwards, his gesture leading to nothing. "Shall we dance?"


	9. Changes

**MW: Credits to BuBuWinter for writing this chapter because my laptop was too stupid to save what I'd written! Having this been said, I am closing character/OC polls for a while because we are currently full on protagonist spaces, but PM me if you want to create a villain. That having been said, watch for important details, because more of Astra and Talon's backgrounds will be revealed. EnJoY!**

**Chapter 8: Changes **

Ptolmeios was….annoying, to say the least. Repulsive, at that, especially for a being of the moon. He'd repeatedly create illusions of himself, resulting in Mirror flinging white-hot plumes of fire at the fakes, only to be rewarded with a blast of smoke. He would constantly jeer at her, throwing out incredulous jests and random accusations, seeking to annoy her further. This was quite obviously a success as the temperature in the room began to rise, sweat forming on Mirror's forehead, her bangs sticking to her hair in an untidy fashion. Panting, she retreated a couple yards to regain her breath, and Ptolmeios repeated his question once more, his voice daunting. Ptolmeios's smile was a wicked one, his outstretched hand practically an invitation to dance with only one thing: death. Mirror's hand clutched more tightly around the hilt of her sword, sweat beginning to bead her neck and forehead, the drunken dizziness she'd previously felt nothing but a faded, distant memory. The kiss she and Talon had shared had been fake, a vivid dream played out before her eyes like dangling food to a starving, chained-up prisoner.

Ptolmeios really was a tricky, disdainful little bastard.

The ethereal being merely shrugged his lean shoulders when she made no move, his hands folding behind him as he circled Mirror, his stride long and slow. "That's fine young wizard, though it is quite the disappointment that you aren't as classy as your appearance may present. A pity really. You're an attractive young lady."

Mirror wanted to respond with a sharp retort, one that would make even this…THING flinch in surprise. She even relayed some of the past insults she once heard Astra mutter under her breath, but none seemed to fit in with the situation at hand, so she simply stood there, her sword arm ready, and waited for him to continue.

"I like my woman charming, attractive, intelligent. I like them soft, subtle, quiet." Suddenly he whirled around, his hand holding on tightly to Mirror's chin, forcing her to look at him. His rancid, ungodly breath blew into her face, and it took her every ounce of willpower not to gag on the stench. His fingers - colder than anything she had experienced before - seemed to freeze the blood vessels in her cheeks and chin. Her face grew uncomfortably numb in his grasp, and noticing this his smile grew even more sinister, baring sharp, yellowed teeth that you wouldn't expect to find on a being of the Moon. "You most certainly aren't like that."

As if on instinct Mirror slashed her sword upwards at Ptolmeios, fire sparking along her blade as she poured her Pyromancy into the weapon. The pitiful fool had completely forgotten he was dealing with a wizard, not some damsel in distress, and Mirror's lips curled into a small yet sinister smile. She was going to make that mistake a deadly one.

Of course - despite what the young wizard wanted to believe - Ptolmeios knew _exactly _what he was dealing with; a love-sick young girl who picked fights with the wrong people at the wrong times in the wrong places. She failed to realize she was in _his _domain. She was _his _puppet now. The ethereal being smiled coldly, a loud, cackling laugh resounding from the back of his throat.

Around her, the black nothingness that once surrounded them gave way to a dome-shaped structure, curved white walls completely devoid of any color stretching high above their heads. The white tile floors seemed to come alive, the great many silver crisscrossing lines playing tricks on Mirror's mind like she had been staring too long at a complicated wordsearch. She stumbled slightly, gazing at the floor with wide eyes.

Suddenly her attention snapped back to Ptolmeios as four pips - white balls of energy that seemed to ripple in sync with his gasping laugh - snapped away with a loud cracking sound. There was a blinding flash of azure blue light, and from the ground sprang a large ice wyvern, its claws glinting in the unnatural light of the dome. Blood-lust glistened in its dark indigo eyes, and Mirror - still partially transfixed by the rippling floor below her - barely had time to dodge the icy gust of hail and snow that billowed out of the creature's mouth. She shook her head, using her sleeve to wipe away the droplets of sweat that dotted her forehead. She stared up at the wyvern for a moment before averting her gaze to Ptolmeios, whose hand was once again outstretched in front of him.

"Time to dance little one," Gritting her teeth Mirror flashed out a dark mahogany card and drew a burning sigil in the air. Four pips snapped away from her with a hiss, and suddenly the highest parts of the dome were shrouded in a black cloud of ash and smoke. There was a small flicker of light - one Prolmeios barely managed to catch - before a large meteor came crashing down from the ceiling. Ptolmeios calmly side-stepped the attack, the plume of magically induced fire just inches away from the side of his face. He smiled thoughtfully, watching as Mirror swayed on her feet, still dazed by the domed illusion her attacker had created. As the ethereal thought about how much fun the battle would be, Mirror simply contemplated on how the hell she would get out of this one.

0 – 0 – 0

Talon woke in a haze. He blinked his eyes rapidly, his blurry vision slowly becoming clear, if only partially. His head rang, an annoying monotone beep resounding from the back of his mind. The distinct flavor of alcohol mingled with the taste of dry mouth, and it was absolutely _disgusting_. Groaning, the master Necromancer pushed himself up into a sitting position, his tired body screeching out in protest as he forced himself to move. He leaned his head back against the leg of the table, rubbing his temples and shutting his eyes tightly.

"_Fuck…_" He muttered in annoyance, his body aching, his throat dry, screaming for water as if it were some sort of peasant lying on the streets.

Great, he was hung over, and there was a mission to complete. What was the mission anyway? This Aleta Masterson hadn't even guided them; she just got a couple of seventeen and eighteen year olds drunk—on what, anyway? Talon hadn't even heard the name Chardonnay since he was living in shitholes at the age of seven. Creatures of the Spiral these days.

He sat there for a few moments, trying to focus on something other than the disgusting taste in his mouth and his aching head, but whenever he would think about something else, the ringing in his head would increase tenfold, and in the end there was just nothing he could do about the taste in his mouth. When he finally gave up, he scanned the clearing before him, hoping for a distraction. All of his comrades - including the guide who decided it would be a good idea to get a bunch of underaged kiddies drunk - were passed out either on the floor or leaning over the table.

That is, everyone except Astra. The cybernetic human was sitting in the shade of a tree, her back against the trunk. Her amber eyes were half closed in tiredness but showed none of the hazy drunkenness Talon had. She was tapping the obsidian armor covering her right arm in a beat unfamiliar to Talon, either deep in thought or zoned out, possibly both. He stumbled up onto his feet and carefully made his way over to her, stepping over the sleeping figure of Seth before sliding his back down against the tree beside his he-wished-they-were-more-than-friends friend. Astra immediately greeted him with:

"You better not become a drunkard Talon." Talon bit his lip and gazed out at the surrounding landscape.

"C'mon Astra," he defended himself, his voice coarse. "One little drink can't hurt."

"One maybe, but you and everyone else had several."

"And you didn't?" Talon challenged. He immediately regretted his decision as Astra turned her head to glare at him, her glistening eyes falling just short of fiery pits created by none other than the Devil himself. He squirmed uncomfortably, looking away and pressing his back harder against the tree, like somehow the pressure would force the overgrown plant to pull him in and hide him. Astra was terrifying when she needed to be. To his relief, she just sighed and continued tapping her odd beat, this time on her cyborg legs, the sound uncomfortably hollow in Talon's ears. As she did this, he examined her. Her right arm was completely covered in obsidian metal - the same substance that now made up her once flesh-and-bone legs from the knees down - and it was permanently melded into her shoulder blade. A ring of black iron wrapped around her left eye, starting from her eyebrow and ending at her cheekbone. She was still incredibly beautiful, but...

"What happened to you Astra?" he suddenly snapped, his voice so full of pain it made Astra flinch in surprise. There was another note of emotion masked in his tone. Anger? Grief? Astra couldn't be sure nor did she really care, she just wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, her face buried in his shoulder. He shivered and pressed his forehead to hers, stroking her flowing ombre hair with his fingers. His strangled voice cracked as he uttered, "Where the _hell _did you go?"

Her cold, metal covered hand rested on the back of his neck, sending chills down his spine. "This," she said as she slowly pulled away from him, tapping the metal that was melded into her skin around her eye. "Is where I was."

"But how?" A dangerous look entered her eyes, only this time it wasn't one wrought with irritation. It was pure danger glistening in the depths of her beautiful eyes. An array of emotions - ranging from guilt, anger, rage, and sadness - surged through them in a wave of energy, the odd sliver of silver below the pupil on her left eye glinting like metal caught in the rays of the sun.

"It's a story for another time Tal." She murmured, squeezing his hand tightly in hers. Prior to wondering how she remembered the affectionate nickname he'd been given as a child; Talon fought the urge to caress the calloused tan skin of her knuckles, gripping her hand more fiercely than he should have. They locked gazes for a moment, and just as Talon began to lean forward to kiss her, like in some cliche storybook, she stood up abruptly, letting go of his hand and closing her eyes. "A story I don't have the time, energy, or heart to tell."

Talon watched, pain-stricken, as the troubled Conjurer walked away from him, shoulders squared and her stride just as powerful as it's always been, looking like the conversation never even happened. Bitterness rose in Talon, annoyed with Astra that she wouldn't tell him what happened to her. That bitterness, that damned moment of annoyance didn't last very long though. As he watched her wake the guide, it was almost like he could clearly see the veil of black shadow that surrounded her, a veil of the past. He could sympathize with her. Maybe not understand, but sympathize.

The pair worked silently together as they woke their comrades, kicking them in the ribs before Astra kindly shoved some odd red berries down their throat, supposedly to help them regain their senses. A few of them gagged, and Hunter spat them out altogether, but they worked. Slowly, everyone scrambled to their feet and stretched out their limbs. Talon glanced about him, eyes widening in a sudden realization and a slight fear. "Where's Mirror?"

There was a chorus of 'I don't know's' and shrugging shoulders. Astra glanced at him quizzically, and briefly he wondered if she were jealous, but he shook the thought away. _This…'New Astra' doesn't get jealous._ Instead he waved her over, questioning if she saw her leave, but she merely shook her head. Talon frowned and leaned against the table, folding his arms across his chest and looking at each one of his companions. A flicker of concern sparked in his heart; Mirror was no Astra, or a high ranking wizard, but she was tough and a reasonably good fighter...right?

"Shouldn't we go after her?" Hunter asked with a raised eyebrow. Talon frowned, his brow furrowing as he began to pace, biting his nails as he made his way to and fro. Should he waste time and resources searching for one stray member? A part of him wanted to say yes, the part that was incredibly fond of the magus Pyromancer, but his mind was saying otherwise. He prayed it was just the alcohol making him crazy.

"We need to push forward," Talon turned, surprised to hear the accented, raspy voice of Astra. Her face was completely stoic as she leaned against the table he previously occupied. "She's not typically powerful, but she's a smart girl and knows how to take care of herself." She glanced at Talon with a small, barely noticeable smirk. "Have a bit of faith in her."

_'New Astra' was a leader. How had she changed so much…? What had happened in those 12 years? _Talon gazed at her for a long while, trying to decipher this sudden change of opinion on Mirror. _'New Astra' was a mystery. 'New Astra' was unpredictable._ He nodded at last upon hearing an impatient grunt from James. "Right. Mirror can handle herself. We...have a mission to complete."

0 – 0 – 0

James watched, his expression blank as Astra and Talon pulled off to the side, talking quietly together. Every now and then a flare of anger would spark from the tall young woman, then as quickly as it came it would be replaced by a small smile. A part of him wanted to say Talon was just flirting with her and she was just getting flustered, but he knew that wasn't the case. He didn't know Astra very well, but he knew her well enough to know she did _not _get flustered. She was too organized to get flustered. A sudden gust of air brushed his skin, and distracted from his observation he glanced over to see an ebony, metal-covered dragon whisk past him. Its dark eyes glinted dangerously as he passed, then rushed to make his way over to Astra, curling around her neck and shoulders.

"Interesting duo, aren't they?" Hunter asked as he approached, following James's gaze as Talon and Astra disappeared into the undergrowth. James sniffed and said nothing in reply. Hunter cocked his head curiously at him. "Is the cat_ always_ biting your tongue, man?"

"I don't trust her." Hunter flinched at James's blunt comment.

"Who? Mirror?" Hunter's voice was laced with mockery.

"The cyborg." James turned and walked away from Hunter, and to his slight irritation he followed.

"Why?" He didn't respond. Privately he thought of several reasons, including how obviously unstable she was and how she was nothing but a walking shadow who - despite not having ever attended Ravenwood - had the same fighting style as Cyrus Drake (he did his research).

He didn't trust her. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he knew she was keeping something hidden. He didn't trust her because he knew if she ever lost her wits, she could easily turn against them, and no one wanted to fight with an overpowered cyborg. He let out a small sigh, and then retreated into the undergrowth where the pair had disappeared into. He watched them intently, keeping himself hidden in the foliage. Talon was attempting to teach the Conjurer necromancy, talking about the basics and what needed to be enforced when casting a spell. She caught on remarkably fast, and James found himself adding more onto his list of "_Why the Cyborg Can't Be Trusted_". After a few hours Talon put a halt to the teaching, exclaiming they had to get a move on and that Mirror obviously wasn't coming back. His eyes practically burst with stars and hearts as he watched Astra practice one last time before he came over and guided her with his hands, pressing himself closer to her than what was needed.

James noted Talon's obvious liking for the girl before pulling back and retreating to the makeshift camp. He heard footsteps coming from behind him, heavy, long strides, the unmistakable clank of metal. He stopped in his tracks and waited for her-no, **_it_** to speak.

"Any reason why you're peeking ass was watching us?" James turned around slowly, coming eye to eye with the long haired, part machine-part human girl. Her eyes were cold, and her plush lips were pulled into a frown. Both of her hands were clenched tightly, looking ready to punch him if he said the wrong words. He kept quiet for a long time, meeting her gaze unflinchingly. She really was the emotional one. She narrowed her eyes at him, and finally spoke once again upon realizing he wasn't going to answer her question. "Look, I don't trust you, you don't trust me. Just stay out of my way and maybe you'll survive this."

"Likewise," he muttered as Astra shoved past him, her unnatural metal covered arm shoving him into a tree with ease. A thick layer of frost settled on the air as James moved. He watched, his face devoid of expression, as her dragon - Gift, if he recalled correctly - flew past him, a thin trail of smoke leaving its maw. He caught the beast's eye, and the message was read as clearly as if the dragon had the ability to speak his mind.

The cyborg and the legendary both had their secrets. Gift was warning him that both of them had their reasons for being who they were, and should he choose to hurt Astra in the slightest way out of petty, paranoid judgment, he would be digging his own grave for being such a hypocrite. Scoffing, James turned away and shook his head, leaving Astra to her own affairs.

0 – 0 – 0

_Mirror swore as the scene flashed before her eyes. Was she going to die? There was a blur, a blur of pure white. Then there was silver. The_n_ grey. Black. Ivory. White, silver, grey, black, ivory. It was the same pattern, the same blur. Then there would be blue in all shades. Turquoise, cerulean, azure, sky, navy. She was cold, extremely cold. Mirror began to wonder if she could really do this—her thoughts were wavering, shaky, nervous, afraid—every epitome of fear screamed out within her. The dome was going to kill her. The dome was going to kill everything. _**_  
_****  
**


End file.
